Towns & cities - life pulsates here

In some towns, it's not the individual "stars" that impress, but the whole sky. These are the Old Towns whose medieval and/or baroque collections of half-timbered houses, turrets, churches and alleyways create a harmonious picture.

They came, they saw – they founded. First a camp, then sometimes a city. We're talking about the Romans, who also left impressive traces of their lives north of the Alps. In some cities, these are still clearly visible today.

Curved buildings, playful lighting effects, generous gardens: the Baroque era is characterised by an extravagant variety of designs and historic splendour. This can still be admired today in castles and residences - even across entire city districts.

Colourful facades, crooked gables, wooden beams, golden inscriptions, ornaments and carvings: some half-timbered houses are true works of art and shape entire villages and Old Towns with their charm.

The industrial revolution changed many things in the 19th century, sometimes even the face of entire cities. And many industrial sites have undergone a fresh transformation again, after the end of coal and steel production, becoming instead leisure centres, art venues and museums.

Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne are in every way the biggest cities in the country! The cultural, entertainment and culinary offerings are suitably diverse – there's something to suite every taste. And every length of stay...

Tsars, princes, great poets – they all loved the public baths. The fascination for spas continues to this day. After all, in some cities you are immersed not only in mineral-rich pools of water, but also in a glorious history, even outside the spa buildings.

Faust, Werther, Götz von Berlichingen: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's works are among the most important in world literature, and hardly any other poet is held in such a high regard, both at home and abroad. No wonder that the places he went are also places of pilgrimage.

If you cycle along the German Fairy Tale Route from Hanau to Bremen, you'll travel from one fairytale setting to the next in the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm and their characters. But some towns also showcase other chapters aside from Grimms'...

In some cities – or at least neighbourhoods – things really get going as the sun goes down. In the streets and, even more so, the bars and clubs, punk starts to play. And techno. And jazz, rock, blues and much more. The main thing: these cities don't sleep!

In an open Europe, neighbouring countries ensure a constant cultural exchange. Things were quite different in times gone by, such as during the Iron Curtain era, where many a town could well be sidelined because of its close proximity to the border.

Since 1985, at least one, often two or even more EU cities have been in the cultural spotlight for a year – usually with top-notch exhibitions and various kinds of art projects. Some long-lasting achievements, however, mean these cities remain particularly attractive even after the event.

"Out in the countryside" doesn't have to mean "out of the city". After all, parks, botanical gardens, meadows and the like provide plenty of recreation even within the "urban jungle". Kassel, Essen, Halle and Osnabrück stand out in that regard ...

Apart from the academic reputation of the university, what defines a great university city? Certainly, a thriving sports, leisure, and pub scene. This, along with the presence of many young people from all over the world, makes a city appealing to both students and non-students alike.

Germany: the land of the car The inventions of Benz, Daimler, Maybach and more all helped lay the foundations for Germany's reputation. The history of these inventors and their cars, extending even into the current electric age, can be traced within their famous cities.